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- Overview (PDF, 376KB) (includes learning outcomes and Standards alignment)
- Students begin their exploration of real-time environmental data using the National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) data portal to collect information on air and water temperatures at Reserves across the country. They graph and interpret these data and offer explanations for the change in temperatures as one moves further away from the equator, as well as offering explanations for the difference between water temperatures on the east vs. west coast. They continue with a deeper dive into the NERR data portal with a “scavenger hunt” to find natural phenomena (e.g. solar eclipse, hurricanes) that have been captured with real-time data. With this new ability to navigate the NERR data portal, students further explore, collect and interpret larger datasets of water temperature at four NERRs—reserves located on the east and west coasts. Using these data, students combine reasoning and conceptual knowledge to construct evidence-based explanations for climate patterns found across the US.
- Activity Write-up (PDF,1.19MB),
- Activity Powerpoint slides (PDF, 1.12MB),
- Activity handouts:
